What language is it?

• calvin20000

  23 Jul 07, 11:37

  Hi all,
  
  I am new to Singapore. I see some words here (actually in Bar forum) that it is certainly neither English nor Chinese... Is it Malay word then?
  
  eg: Zaogeng, I know the meaning of this , bit is it Malay? It somehow sounds like Chinese tho.
  
  thx
• ^tamago^

  23 Jul 07, 11:40

  hokkien, a chinese dialect.
• calvin20000

  23 Jul 07, 11:42

  Originally posted by ^tamago^:

  hokkien, a chinese dialect.

  Oh i see... but why so many Singaporeans understand and use Hokkien? Where do they learn? Or is it many Hokkien people came to SG before?
• de_middle

  23 Jul 07, 11:45

  hokkien is the almost universal dialect in s'pore.....even the malays & indians understands some hokkien
• ^tamago^

  23 Jul 07, 11:55

  Originally posted by calvin20000:

  Oh i see... but why so many Singaporeans understand and use Hokkien? Where do they learn? Or is it many Hokkien people came to SG before?

  u dun have to understand all, it's something oft used by locals and can be easily comprehended.
• calvin20000

  23 Jul 07, 12:07

  Originally posted by ^tamago^:

  u dun have to understand all, it's something oft used by locals and can be easily comprehended.

  Umm... any website or other material that I could learn some of Hokkein that often used by Singaporeans? Want to be part of local...
• kiss_my (_i_)

  23 Jul 07, 12:11

  Originally posted by calvin20000:

  Umm... any website or other material that I could learn some of Hokkein that often used by Singaporeans? Want to be part of local...

  make sure u pat the right horse butt
• jay_rocks

  23 Jul 07, 12:11

  Originally posted by calvin20000:

  Umm... any website or other material that I could learn some of Hokkein that often used by Singaporeans? Want to be part of local...

  no problem. pls go to here pls
• mochou

  23 Jul 07, 13:03

  also try to learn when to use:
  "liao"
  (meaning is like "already")
  eg. "he go off liao" "I eat finish liao"
  
  "lah"
  (Cant explian exactly when to use, but it's very commonly used.)
  eg. "Cannot Lah" "Dont like that Lah" "please Lah"
  
  "meh/ah"
  (end with it when ask a question)
  eg. "You dont know meh?" "You dont know ah?"
  
  "Wah"
  (exclamation, like "Wow!")
  eg."Wah, so many people!" "Wah, today you wear so smart ah?"
• calvin20000

  23 Jul 07, 15:28

  Thx!
  
  Liao, meh, lah and wah... Actually these are a bit like Cantonese...